The War on Vitamins

Hundreds of millions of people around the world (including me) take daily doses of vitamins because we find that they help our energy, our immune system, our cognition, and other benefits we perceive. But for reasons about which I can only speculate, this angers others, who want to prevent us from doing so. The European Union, whose nanny state tendencies are the world's most developed, has decided to ban many vitamin doses, and in the UK, which retains at least a bit of the traditions established in the Magna Carta, resistance has developed. Let's call it a liberty immune system response. The UK Daily Mail reports:

Hundreds of vitamins and food supplements taken by millions of people every day are to be banned under new EU rules.

The regulations will outlaw the sale of 250 vitamins and minerals in Britain, many of which are already banned in other EU countries.

High-dose pills of other substances will also be prohibited, forcing manufacturers to supply them in lower concentrations.

They include vitamin B6, often taken by women to counter stress and pre-menstrual tension, and vitamin C, said to help tackle colds.

The move has sparked fury among those who rely on over-the-counter products to boost their vitamin intake and cope with conditions such as arthritis and PMT.

And opposition peers have vowed to fight the planned restrictions when the regulations are put before the House of Lords today.

Conservative health spokesman Earl Howe accused the Government of caving in to EU demands at the expense of British consumers.

He said: "The right of consumers to exercise choice in buying health foods is to be curtailed drastically, all in the cause of European harmonisation."

Can the American nanny state advocates be far behind? I understand Mayor Bloomberg is going to be looking for new work quite soon. Perhaps he will want to interfere with my daily vitamin regimen.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world (including me) take daily doses of vitamins because we find that they help our energy, our immune system, our cognition, and other benefits we perceive. But for reasons about which I can only speculate, this angers others, who want to prevent us from doing so.

The European Union, whose nanny state tendencies are the world's most developed, has decided to ban many vitamin doses, and in the UK, which retains at least a bit of the traditions established in the Magna Carta, resistance has developed. Let's call it a liberty immune system response. The UK Daily Mail reports:

Hundreds of vitamins and food supplements taken by millions of people every day are to be banned under new EU rules.

The regulations will outlaw the sale of 250 vitamins and minerals in Britain, many of which are already banned in other EU countries.

High-dose pills of other substances will also be prohibited, forcing manufacturers to supply them in lower concentrations.

They include vitamin B6, often taken by women to counter stress and pre-menstrual tension, and vitamin C, said to help tackle colds.

The move has sparked fury among those who rely on over-the-counter products to boost their vitamin intake and cope with conditions such as arthritis and PMT.

And opposition peers have vowed to fight the planned restrictions when the regulations are put before the House of Lords today.

Conservative health spokesman Earl Howe accused the Government of caving in to EU demands at the expense of British consumers.

He said: "The right of consumers to exercise choice in buying health foods is to be curtailed drastically, all in the cause of European harmonisation."

Can the American nanny state advocates be far behind? I understand Mayor Bloomberg is going to be looking for new work quite soon. Perhaps he will want to interfere with my daily vitamin regimen.